Tail-piece for banjos



(NoModeL) W. A. SCOLLAY.

' TAIL- PIECE FOR BANJosl No. 283,519. Patented Aug. 21, 1883.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES ATEN'r Grimes,

WILLIAM A. SCOLLAY, OF SAN FRANGISGG, CALIFORNIA.

TAIL-PIECE FOR BANJOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent lYo. 283,519, dated August 21, 1883.

8 Application filed November l, 1881. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. 'SooLLAY, a citizen of the United States, and residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful Tail-Piece for Banjos, of which the following is a specification. a

The object of my invention is to provide a means,whereby the strings may be confined to the tail-piece of a banjo without the necessity of threading the strings through the eye-holes and then reaching round in order to tie the strings,-as in the use of the ordinary tail-piece of such instruments, and also to obviate liability of injury to the strings from vibration against the angular edges or corners of the parallel slots in which such strings are sometimes held. I accomplish this object by the means or device illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated by means of a perspective View the tailpiece A of a banjo embodying my invention. The front end, b, of the tail-piece is turned or bent up at a right angle and pierced through with a sufficient number of holes, 0. Intersecting these holes or'eyelets are slots d, through which the knotted ends of the strings are inserted and drawn taut by the usual keys of the instrument. By this means the connection of the strings can be easily and quickly made and go much greater economy is had in utilizing the broken parts or pieces of the string than by the use of the ordinary tail-piece, whilethe strings, being held in the circular opening, 0 c, .are thereby relieved from the liability of. injury 5 that results from vibration against the angular edges of the slots in which such strings are sometimes secured.

The attachment of my device to the drum or shell is made in the usual way.

I am aware that tail-pieces have heretofore been made with upwardly-bent ridges or ends having a series of parallel slits, and therefore do not claim the same; but

What I do claim as my invention is I A tail-piece for banjos and similar stringed instruments, consisting of the body A, having an upwardly-turned end, Z), provided with circular openings 0 c and intersecting slots d d, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 19th day of October, 188.

WILLIAM A. scoLLA-Y. n s.]

Witnesses:

O. W. M. SMITH, CHAS. E. KELLY. 

